Neill Blomkamp’s Elysium Gets Plot Synopsis

Neill Blomkamp, a South African filmmaker once slated to direct the development-hell-stuck Halo film, is one of the most exciting directors working today. Exploding onto the scene nearly four years ago with the fantastic District 9, a film which is both a great sci-fi thriller and a social commentary on South African apartheid (heavy stuff). As such he’s placed himself in the pantheon of young talents to look out for, along with the likes of Duncan Jones and more recently filmmakers like Josh Trank and Rupert Sanders. Ever since District 9 we’ve been eagerly anticipating news on his next project, the mysterious Elysium. After a slew of casting news; Matt Damon, Jodie Foster, Sharlto Copley, Alice Braga and William Fichtner, we now have an actual idea of what the film is really about. Courtesy of an invitation to an early preview screening of the unfinished film, here’s a synopsis of the plot. Spoiler: It’s a sociological commentary.

In the year 2159 two classes of people exist: the very wealthy who live on a pristine man-made space station called Elysium, and the rest, who live on an overpopulated, ruined Earth. Secretary Rhodes (Jodie Foster), a hard line government official, will stop at nothing to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve the luxurious lifestyle of the citizens of Elysium. That doesn’t stop the people of Earth from trying to get in, by any means they can. When unlucky Max (Matt Damon) is backed into a corner, he agrees to take on a daunting mission that if successful will not only save his life, but could bring equality to these polarized worlds.

Along with Prometheus and Gravity, this has been at the top of the list of exciting sci-fi projects. With Prometheus out of the way and now a more concrete view of what Elysium is, the excitement has only grown. Expect it sometime in 2013.

P.s. I’m still super disappointed Blomkamp didn’t do that Halo film, it could’ve been so amazing. Hopefully an amazing career will mend that disappointment.

Follow Filmophilia on Facebook and Twitter.